ASK MR. CHRISTMAS
There have been questions raised in the comment section of Peter’s Ashtray about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. They are excellent questions, Yakimaniac, and I hope I can answer them to your general satisfaction.
First, Luke does not state that Bethlehem was the birthplace of either Joseph or Mary. He does say Joseph went to Bethlehem “the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.” The reason for the journey in the first place was the census taken by Caesar Augustus. The reason for the census? Taxation. The Romans practiced what is referred to as “tax farming.” They contracted taxation to individuals/companies who then hired tax collectors. This “census” was very similar to William I’s Domesday Book. Basically, Caesar wanted to know what he owned so he could set the tax requirements for the tax collectors.
The census was being done on a tribe and clan basis. The Jews had to return to their tribal territory and then to the village/town of their clan seat. Joseph went to Judea (Latin for Judah) because he was of the tribe of Judah and then to Bethlehem, the city of David, because he was of the clan of David. It is not stated where Joseph or Mary were born. Their families may have been living in Galilee for generations!
The translation “inn” is somewhat unfortunate because it conjures up a picture of a lovely, snow-covered, English or New England B & B or tavern. The more appropriate word would be “caravansary.” I.e. A stopping off place for caravans, frequently built around oases. By Roman times, the towns surrounding major trade cities all had caravansaries. Maybe a better picture would be a modern truck stop. They were generally rather large, walled areas surrounding a common source of water. Originally, travelers would camp around the inner wall and string up blankets or something for a little privacy. As time passed, the better caravansaries actually had small rooms lining the inner walls. These were tough places. Caravan drivers were the wagoneers or teamsters of their time. There was usually a lot of drinking and prostitution connected with the caravansary.
Did Joseph or Mary have relatives in Bethlehem? Perhaps. We don’t know. Even if they did, they would have had limited space. Consider, all the members of the tribe of Judah were returning to Judea and all the members of the line of David were coming to Bethlehem. It is not a stretch to think that all of the guestrooms available in the town were already taken by family members or renters. The natural place to go then would be to the caravansary.
What about the livestock? My reading tells me that caravan animals were usually kept inside the caravansary to protect from bandits or robbers. There would have been a feeding area for animals outside the walls of the caravansary, often built alongside the wall. No, animals would not usually be stabled there. It would be a place where caravans would feed their animals if they were not staying the night. Kind of a drive-thru for caravan animals. If all of the places on the inside of the caravansary were filled by travelers then the next best place for Joseph and Mary would have been the feeding shed attached to the outside of the walls.
It doesn’t really seem that finances were an issue for Joseph and Mary. They apparently could afford to rent a place in the caravansary but there just wasn’t enough room. Also, the Magi finally found the Holy Family living in a house (Matthew 2:10). Either Joseph had some money or else he began working after his arrival in Bethlehem. The general practice of hospitality among those people would require family to do their best to help. We don’t know that they didn’t. They just aren’t mentioned.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to comment and ask more questions if I haven’t quite covered the topic. Merry Christmas to all!
(I have some great photos to go with this post but for some reason Blogger isn't uploading them at this time. Sorry!)
First, Luke does not state that Bethlehem was the birthplace of either Joseph or Mary. He does say Joseph went to Bethlehem “the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.” The reason for the journey in the first place was the census taken by Caesar Augustus. The reason for the census? Taxation. The Romans practiced what is referred to as “tax farming.” They contracted taxation to individuals/companies who then hired tax collectors. This “census” was very similar to William I’s Domesday Book. Basically, Caesar wanted to know what he owned so he could set the tax requirements for the tax collectors.
The census was being done on a tribe and clan basis. The Jews had to return to their tribal territory and then to the village/town of their clan seat. Joseph went to Judea (Latin for Judah) because he was of the tribe of Judah and then to Bethlehem, the city of David, because he was of the clan of David. It is not stated where Joseph or Mary were born. Their families may have been living in Galilee for generations!
The translation “inn” is somewhat unfortunate because it conjures up a picture of a lovely, snow-covered, English or New England B & B or tavern. The more appropriate word would be “caravansary.” I.e. A stopping off place for caravans, frequently built around oases. By Roman times, the towns surrounding major trade cities all had caravansaries. Maybe a better picture would be a modern truck stop. They were generally rather large, walled areas surrounding a common source of water. Originally, travelers would camp around the inner wall and string up blankets or something for a little privacy. As time passed, the better caravansaries actually had small rooms lining the inner walls. These were tough places. Caravan drivers were the wagoneers or teamsters of their time. There was usually a lot of drinking and prostitution connected with the caravansary.
Did Joseph or Mary have relatives in Bethlehem? Perhaps. We don’t know. Even if they did, they would have had limited space. Consider, all the members of the tribe of Judah were returning to Judea and all the members of the line of David were coming to Bethlehem. It is not a stretch to think that all of the guestrooms available in the town were already taken by family members or renters. The natural place to go then would be to the caravansary.
What about the livestock? My reading tells me that caravan animals were usually kept inside the caravansary to protect from bandits or robbers. There would have been a feeding area for animals outside the walls of the caravansary, often built alongside the wall. No, animals would not usually be stabled there. It would be a place where caravans would feed their animals if they were not staying the night. Kind of a drive-thru for caravan animals. If all of the places on the inside of the caravansary were filled by travelers then the next best place for Joseph and Mary would have been the feeding shed attached to the outside of the walls.
It doesn’t really seem that finances were an issue for Joseph and Mary. They apparently could afford to rent a place in the caravansary but there just wasn’t enough room. Also, the Magi finally found the Holy Family living in a house (Matthew 2:10). Either Joseph had some money or else he began working after his arrival in Bethlehem. The general practice of hospitality among those people would require family to do their best to help. We don’t know that they didn’t. They just aren’t mentioned.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to comment and ask more questions if I haven’t quite covered the topic. Merry Christmas to all!
(I have some great photos to go with this post but for some reason Blogger isn't uploading them at this time. Sorry!)
3 Comments:
Excellent! Many thanks for taking time from your busy schedule. I had not heard about the caravansary scenario. Intriguing and delightful!
I read an article in Biblical Archaeology Review some years ago that theorized that Mary and Joseph stayed with relatives because of cultural dictates. The writer claimed to have found a first century Palestine home with a raised sleeping platform and other features which led him to believe that animals were routinely brought inside at night. I think he might have even claimed to have found a stone manger-like object. Unfortunately for him, Luke does not say, "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them on the sleeping platform."
An often overlooked aspect of story is how the shepherds found the Holy Family. The angel said to the shepherds, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." There was no star. I doubt very much there was a holy light shining over the baby in the manger. But the caravansary would very likely be outside of town or on the edge of town, perhaps the first place the shepherds would pass on their way to Bethlehem. The shepherds didn't seem to be very perplexed about how they would find the baby. At the same time, there is no mention that the family was traveling so why would they jump to the conclusion that they would be at the inn? And on the other hand, it doesn't say how long the shepherds looked around. The silence allows for them to scour the entire town before finally finding Jesus!
Isn't it amazing that we are given so little information but surely all we need? Can you imagine if you were given the task of writing an account of such a momentous event but restrained to the fewest of words?
I guess it challenges us to exercise our faith in an information/knowledge worshipping culture.
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